Pan-Am train derails in Old Town

Kate Collins | BDN

Kate Collins | BDN

Rebecca Lane of French Island holds her three-week-old son Dexter Lane after crossing over a ladder emergency officials placed between two cars of a derailed Pan Am train to allow residents access in and out of their Old Town neighborhood. According to Old Town Fire Chief Steve O'Malley, the thirty-car train derailed in two places-along a bridge spanning the Penobscot River and also in a spot parallel to Rt. 2- in the late morning of Tuesday, April 12, 2011. Lane, along with Rolan (cq) Staples, crossing the ladder in background, needed to get off French Island to go buy diapers.

Kate Collins | BDN

Kate Collins | BDN

Emergency workers survey the Pan Am train derailment which occurred parallel to Rt. 2 on Old Town's French Island. According to Old Town Fire Chief Steve O'Malley, the thirty car train derailed in two places in the late morning of Tuesday, April 12, 2011. No injuries weer reported, but access to French Island neighborhoods was limited.

OLD TOWN, Maine — A handful of train cars in a line of 33 derailed late Tuesday morning, shutting down traffic to and from the French Island part of Old Town.

The Pan-Am Railways train went off the tracks around 11 a.m., according to Old Town Fire Lt. Mike Hildreth. Public safety officials closed three roads — Front, Bosworth and Howard streets — that provide access to French Island from U.S. Route 2.

By about 3 p.m., Front Street had reopened, Hildreth said, but the other streets remained closed.

None of the cars tipped over, no hazardous materials were spilled and no injuries were reported as a result of the derailment.
Hildreth said most of the boxcars were carrying paper goods, but some were hauling LP gas.

It wasn’t clear what caused the derailment, but the fire lieutenant said officials from Pan-Am Railways responded immediately to sort out the mess.

Attempts to reach a representative for Pan-Am on Tuesday afternoon were unsuccessful.